Labourers' Gardens in Suffolk and Cambridgeshire. S9 



would reply to those by Charles Laurence (p. 707 — 709.), whose experience 

 has led him to very different conclusions from those to which my practice 

 has led me, and who seems to have been singularly unfortunate in having 

 only encountered labourers of the dullest capacity. Having, however, re- 

 corded my own conclusions in a pamphlet *, I shall not here repeat them, 

 but submit a supplementary instance or two of the extending application 

 of the system of letting land to labourers. 



In Vol. VII. p. 223. you have already recorded, that, since the publica- 

 tion of the Peasants Voice, the forty half-acres stated in that pamphlet to 

 have been occupied, for the eight years preceding, by forty labourers, in 

 this parish, were, in the close of 1830, doubled, so as to allow each 

 labourer an acre; thus clearly proving that the landlord, our vicar, had 

 seen no cause to be dissatisfied with the system, but far otherwise. From 

 the date of that event to the present time, various gratifying circumstances, 

 some near, some distant, connected with this subject, have become known 

 to me ; and of these I shall acquaint you with two, even should they, as I 

 am personally connected with both of them, criminate me of egotism. 



On the 17th of August, 1831, I received a letter from the Rev. E. 

 Jones of Pakenham, a village six miles from Bury St. Edmunds, on 

 its Norwich side, informing me that nearly 50 acres are let to the la- 

 bourers of his parish (one acre of arable land is the largest quantity, then 

 half acres, and 4 or 5 quarter acres or roods, and 4 allotments for a 

 cow) : that all the occupiers are highly pleased and grateful for them : and 

 he adds, " There are many fresh applicants for land, whose wants I am 

 afraid cannot at present be satisfied." Mr. Jones having learned that the 

 labourers in my parish occupied an acre each, requested me to communi- 

 cate the mode of cultivation here practised, for the benefit of the labourers 

 in his own parish. 



On the 20th of October, 1831, I received a letter from the Rev. Edgar 

 Rust of Drinkstone, a village on the Ipswich side of Bury St. Edmunds, and 

 near Woolpit, informing me that he is the principal trustee of some charity 

 land ; that he was anxious the poor should have the full benefit arising 

 therefrom ; and that he wished for my personal assistance in apportioning 

 some land to agricultural labourers, and offering to recompense me for my 

 time and expenses. I determined to wait on Mr. Rust ; and, in passing 

 through Bury St. Edmunds, replied there to Mr. Jones's letter, informing him 

 that I was on my way to Drinkstone. My ride from Bury to Woolpit, 

 which is very near Drinkstone, was short, but very pleasant ; the morning 

 was fine. The corn in many places was full rowed ; the rising hills and sloping 

 vales reminded me of Surrey and Sussex, only that the hills are not so 

 lofty ; but the healthy whitethorn [hawthorn] fences and vigorous-growing 

 trees showed that it is a far better soil. I was pleased to find all the cot- 

 tage gardens that I saw in excellent order, many of them of a good size, 

 and cottages of a comfortable appearance. At Woolpit is a large pear 

 tree, trained to what we call a smock windmill (they are called smock wind- 

 mills, to distinguish them from post-mills), which appeared to be in a very 

 healthy condition. I was kindly received by the Rev. E. Rust : he is a 

 benevolent man, with firmness of purpose. The population of Drinkstone 

 is about 400 souls ; and the land is about 1800 acres, 37 of which is charity 

 land, and 8 of town land. The charity land, from the donor leaving it to 

 supply the poor with bread, has received the name of Bread Closes ; but it 

 has been let to the farmers for a number of years, who have of late years 

 expended the greater part of the rent in binding out apprentices. Mr. 

 Rust is desirous that the labourers should each of them occupy an acre 

 of it, at an easy rent. This a part of the farmers are against, and have 



* " A Peasant's Voice to Landowners." 1830. 8vo, pp. 76. 2s. 6d. 

 W. H. Smith, Cambridge; John Richardson, London. 



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